Means for compressing or liquefying gases.



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BRUCE BORLAND, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS FOR` COMPRESSING OR LIQUEFYING GASES.

SPECIFXCATIGN forming part of Letters Patent N o. 698,362, dated April22, 1902.

Application led June 7, 1900.

To all whoml it may concern:

Be it known that LBRUCE BORLAND, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Means for Compressing orLiquefying Gases, of which the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription.

The purpose of the invention is to provide means for compressing orliquefyinggases such, for instance, as ammonia and carbon dioXid-for thepurpose of obtaining such gases in their liquid form for any desireduse, and to so construct the apparatus for the purpose that it will be'simple, easily controlled, and successfully used in large bodies ofwater-as, for example, the ocean.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which is represented a vertical section throughthe apparatus, the apparatus being immersed in a body of Water.

The apparatus consists of an upper gas-receiver A and a lowercompressing-cylinder B.' The compressing-cylinder B is open at itsbottom, and the gas-receiver A, which constitutes, preferably, anintegral portion of the com pressing-chamber at thetop, is of circularformation, so as to better resist pressure from the outside and theinside. A channel 10 establishes communication between the upper centralportionof the compressing-cylinder B and the central lower portion ofthe gas-receiver A, and this channel'or source of communication isnormally closed by an inwardlyopening valve ll-a check-Valve, forexample, or a valve of any description.

A chamber l2 is Vformed between the inner and the outer walls of thegas-receiver, and this chamber extends nearly the entire circumferenceof the receiver, terminating near the bottom thereof at opposite sides.A faucet 13, located at the outside of the gas-receiver A, is placed incommunication with the interior of the main chamber of the gas-receiver,and the compressed gas is permitted to escape, when desired, through thefaucet 13, which is constructed to that end. A second Serial No. 19,892.(No model.)

nel let is provided at its upper end with a valve 15, made ofspringmetal, tting gastight and normallyclosed, which valve opensoutward, so that a portion of the gas that has been compressed in thereceiver A will pass into the circumferential chamberlZ. An eye 16 orthe equivalent thereof is formed at the topportion of the gas-receiverA, and a link '17 is connected with this eye, which link in its turn isconnected with a rope or a chain of any desired length. i

At opposite sides of the compressing-cylinder B upwardly-turned hooks 18are formed, and these hooks receive eyes which are formed upondownwardly-extending rods 19. These rods extend beyond the lower end ofthe compressing -cylinder and carry weights 2O at their lowerextremities, the weights being suflcient to carry the apparatus downthrough the water to the desired depth. Ropes 2l are attached to theeyes forming portions of the rods 19, and these ropes extend upward andare adapted to be manipulated at a point above the surface of the bodyof water. As the apparatus is lowered the gas in the cylinder B isgradually compressed by the water rising in the said cylinder, and thecompressed gas is thereupon forced into the receiver A, where it isretained until it is withdrawn after the apparatus has been raised fromthe water. The weights 2O may be disconnected from the hooks A18 whenall of the gas in the cylinder B has been forced into the receiver A bymerely pulling upward upon the :ropes 21,'to which the hooks 19 aresecured. These ropes 21 can be manipulated `independently from above forthis4 purpose.

In order to obtain the requisite pressure and cold for liquefying suchgases as may be liqueiied by this device, it is necessary to lower theapparatus to a suitable depth in the body of water, and to this end myapparatus is constructed and the bulk of theweights calculated. Thechamber l2 between the two walls of the gas-receiver A permitsthegastoweX- pand into the said chamber through the channel 14, and the gas insaid chamber tends considerably to cool the bulk of gas in the re- IOOceiver A, thereby materially aiding to liquefy it. lA relief-valve 12 isprovided for the chamber 12.

The cooling effect referred to is brought about as follows: The valve15, being somewhat difficult to lift, will not allow the gas to iiowfrom the receiver A into the receiver 12 until a considerable pressureis obtained in the receiver A. By the time the apparatus hasdescendedasufticientdepthinto the ocean to compress the gas in thereceiver A to a degree suflicient to move the valve 15 the apparatuswill be considerably cooled by the surrounding water, the temperature ofwhich is low at great depths. The apparatus having descended asufficient depth to move'the valve the gas passes from the receiver Athrough the channel 14 into the receiver 12, and in doing so expandsslightly. The effect of this is to lower the temperature in the innerreceiver A and to raise the temperature in the outer receiver 12. Thisreceiver being almost in immediate contact with the Water, however, israpidly cooled thereby, so that the heat produced by the compression ofthe gas in the receiver 12 is rapidly conveyed away by the water. Theeifect upon the gas in the inner receiver is clearly a cooling effectfor the reason that the gas having been compressed, and thereby heated,and this heat having been abstracted by the surrounding water, (aided bythe conductivity of the metal,) when allowed to expand slightly isrendered cooler than it was before. The gas in the receiver A is cooledto the same extent that the gas in the receiver 12 is heated; but as theheat is almost immediately absorbed by the water from the gas in thereceiver 12 the ultimate effect upon the inner receiver A is a coolingeffect. A little heat might be imparted from the outer receiver to theinner receiver as the inner receiver is cooled and the outer receiver isheated; but if any part of the heat imparted to the outer receiver isabsorbed by the water in immediate contact with said receiver it isclear that all of the heat cannot return to the gas in the receiver A.

I contemplate so building the apparatus` the gas has been forced fromthe compressingas at all times the pressure on the inside and outside ispractically the same; but the upper portion of the apparatus, where thecompressed gas is stored, should be Verystrong in order to withstand thepressurewhen the apparatus is brought to the surface of the liquid inwhich it has been immersed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. Means'for compressing and liquefying gas, whichconsists in a compressing-cylinder open at its bottom, a gas-receivercarried by the upper portion of the cylinder, a communication betweenthe gas-receiver and cylinder, which communication is normally closed bya valve opening inwardly in the receiver, the said receiver beingprovided with a circumfe-rential chamber between its inner and outerwalls in communication with the main chamber, and means for drawing oftthe compressed gas from the receiver, as set forth.

2. Means for compressing and liquefying gas, which consists in acompressing-cylinder open at its bottom, a gas-receiver carried by theupper portion of the cylinder, a communication between the gas-receiverand cylinder,.which communication is normally closed by a valve openinginwardlyin the receiver, the said receiver being provided with acircumferential chamber between its inner and outer walls incommunication with the main chamber, means for drawing olf thecompressed air from the receiver, projections from the cylinder, weightssuspended from the said projections, and means for manuallydisconnecting the weights from the cylinder, the said weights beingadapted also to automatically disconnect themselves from the cylinderwhen the air in the cylinder has been compressed in the receiver, as setforth.

3. A deep-sea apparatus for the liquefaction of gases, comprising anopen receptacle and two closed receptacles, said open receptaclecommunicating with one of said closed receptacles by means of a valve,and said closed receptacles communicating with each other by means ofanother valve, and means for sinking said receptacles into the deep seaand raising the same therefrom.

4. A deep-sea apparatus for the liquefaction of gases, comprising anopen receptacle and a receptacle closed by a valve, said receptaclescommunicating with each other, detachable weights for sinking saidreceptacles into the sea, and means for disengaging said detachableweights at will.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRUCE BORLAND.

Witnesses:

R. E. GILcHRIsT, CHAUNOEY B. BORLAND.

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